Chapter 176: Tomorrow’s freedom
"How?" Ayla asked.
She stared at Ares, still struggling to comprehend that he was actually standing in front of her.
"How are you going to get me out? How are you even here?"
Ares’ eyes softened.
"Tomorrow, we will be out of here. Alistair proposed the feast and it is the perfect cover for us to escape"
Her heart skipped.
"And Alistair also got you in? You trust him enough? What if it is a trap?"
"I do not trust him," Ares answered. "But I see what he is. He has been left in the shadows so long that he has grown resentful of his own blood. He is going to do all it takes to be seen. He wants to be king."
He stepped closer.
"And I will make him king," he said. "After all this is over. There is nothing wrong in having the rogues on our side with Alistair as their king."
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Ayla nodded slowly, absorbing the weight of his calculation. It was a dangerous gamble, trading one mad man for another but it could work.
Ares pulled her into his arms again and Ayla immediately melted against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
She simply listened to his heartbeat.
"I cannot remain here, you know." Ares murmured against her hair.
Ayla sighed. "I know."
She wanted to hold him forever but if someone discovered him inside Emberfall, their entire plan would collapse.
Ares pulled back from her. He kissed her forehead and then her cheeks.
Ayla closed her eyes as his lips brushed the corner of her mouth and then finally his lips claimed hers.
The kiss started gently but the moment their lips met, the restraint between them began to disappear.
Ayla’s fingers curled into his clothes.
His hands moved over her back, finding the dip of her waist, the curve of her hip.
Ayla shivered.
She knew they should stop.
"Ares..."
"Shh" Ares murmured.
His fingers traced the edge of her bodice, pressing through the laces with rough urgency. Her dress slid up her calves, the hem catching against her knees as she rose on tiptoe while he ran his palm up her thigh, inching closer.
Her breath hitched in her throat. She felt the pull in her belly, the magnetic hook of the bond that had never fully been severed, dragging them together with a gravity that ignored reason.
The attraction between them was undeniable. A soft sound escaped Ayla before she could stop it.
Ares’ grip tightened around her thigh.
"I can literally taste you, Ayla" he murmured against her lips.
Ayla’s cheeks burned. She shuddered as Ares fingers closed around the warmth of her.
A knock on the door jolted her to her senses.
Ayla’s eyes widened in horror.
"Oh, goddess."
She immediately pushed away from Ares.
"You need to hide." she said, gesturing frantically toward the corner.
Another knock sounded.
"Who is it?" Ayla asked.
"It is me, Willow."
Ayla released a breath, her shoulders heaving.
"Thank goodness." she laughed, reaching to open the door.
Ares’ stopped her with a hand to her arm, his eyes narrowing.
"Willow?"
Ayla nodded.
"She is fine." She said but Ares looked unconvinced.
Ayla gently pulled her hand free.
"I will explain."
She opened the door and Willow slipped inside.
"So, what did he want?" she asked, closing the door behind herself without noticing Ares standing in the corner.
Ares cleared his throat, drawing her attention to him.
Willow spun around in alarm and froze, her eyes widening.
"Ares!" She stared at him. "What are you doing here?"
Ares said nothing. His eyes merely narrowed at her and Ayla could feel the anger radiating from him in waves.
She stepped between them.
"Willow has been helping me."
Ares looked at her in disbelief.
"Helping you? Willow?" His gaze moved back to her. "You seem to be forgetting everything she has done."
Willow’s face fell.
"I am no longer that person." she muttered. "I have changed."
"Changed?" Ares scoffed. "Is that right, little sister?"
The words hit Willow hard. Ayla saw the hurt enter her eyes.
It was the first time the two of them had been face-to-face since Willow had revealed the truth about their shared parentage.
"Ares..." Ayla called out in warning.
"I should leave." Willow cut in.
"No." Ayla reached for her. "Ares is just..."
"I do not trust her." Ares said without hesitation.
Willow’s expression crumbled. She gave him a sad smile.
"Of course you don’t and you are within your right."
She turned and walked out, the door closing behind her.
Ayla stared at it for a moment before she spun around to face Ares, a disapproving frown on her forehead.
"That was not very nice."
"Nice?" His voice rose. "Ayla, you cannot trust Willow."
"I think she has changed."
"She is her father’s daughter." Ares shook his head. "And I promise you, she did not fall far from that tree."
Footsteps echoed from the corridor and Ayla immediately raised a hand.
"Wait."
Ayla hurried opened the door slightly to see Willow running down the corridor and disappearing around the corner.
"She heard you." Ayla frowned at him
Ares’ expression remained hard.
"I do not care."
Ayla folded her arms. "She has been helping me."
"That does not mean she is trustworthy."
"Neither does wanting a throne make Alistair trustworthy."
"It is not the same thing." Ares muttered.
"I do not see the difference." Ayla countered. "She wants freedom and so do I."
Ares sighed. He could see she was stubborn and she would not change her mind.
"Fine." he murmured, reaching for her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I do not want us to fight."
Ayla melted against his hand. "Neither do I."
His eyes softened.
"Tomorrow. At the feast, you will take a break to use the washroom and we will meet here and we go home."
Ayla swallowed. The word sent a thrill through her.
Home...Freedom...Cassian...Damon...Everyone.
Ayla nodded.
"Okay."
Ares leaned forward and kissed her one last time. It was brief and so tender that it made her chest ache.
Then he pulled away and picked up his helmet.
Ayla watched as he placed it over his head, once again becoming nothing more than another guard in Emberfall.
He opened the door and before leaving, he looked back at her.
"Be careful." Ayla said.
He nodded at her and left.
Ayla listened to his footsteps fade down the corridor. A small laugh escaped her.
Tomorrow.
She was going to escape.
Tomorrow, she was going to be free.